Active Spiritual Warfare

How Does the Blood of Jesus Accomplish That?

Ken

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:7 NKJV). 

What is the Significance of the Blood of Jesus Christ? 

  1. We have been purchased by the Blood of Christ. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).  
  2. Since we have been purchased by the Blood of Christ, we are not our own to do as we please with our lives, but we must always consult God concerning what must best be done to promote His glory. “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Corinthians 6:20). 
  3. Based upon God purchasing us, even our OT counterparts, the nation of Israel, were taught a heavenly mindedness for themselves and an otherworldly mindedness for the world that observed them. “Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased” (Exodus 15:16). 
  4. Our entire conduct has been redirected from aimlessness to focused upon Christ’s “holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14) through the Blood of Christ. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter 1:18-19).  
  5. Through the Blood of Christ, we have been elevated to be called “children of God” (John 1:12), though we have become bonded to God like a servant or slave, as Jesus did. “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). 

The Blood of Jesus Speaks 

“To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). 

When Cain slew his brother Abel, God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother? He said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (Genesis 4:9-11). 

  1. According to these passages from Genesis 4:9-11 and Hebrews 12:24, blood speaks to the Almighty, since He is God and accordingly, He has pronounced sentence from the Courts of Heaven as Judge of All the Earth (Genesis 18:25) because of the significance of the vitality of that blood. 
  2. Blood is indispensable for physical, human life, but it also teaches us of the essential bond between the Father and His Only Begotten Son, who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), “for the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). 
  3. Supernaturally, “in Him we have redemption through His blood” (Ephesians 1:7), because God has chosen this to best represent our means of achieving a restored relationship with Him. 
  4. Consequently, the Blood of Christ represents the breaking of our adversary the devil’s claim over us, who became our lord, when we rebelled against God. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). 
  5. Again, this begs the question, Why did faithful Abel offer, and God received of him, a blood sacrifice, which was a “more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4)? Was it “not without blood” (9:7) because only by death and the shedding of blood could freedom from the self-life be obtained (from Andrew Murray’s “The Power of the Blood of Jesus”)? Notice also Abel’s pleasing act of faith in shedding the blood in sacrifice “still speaks” (11:4) because blood speaks and cries out to God, even when human mouths are silent. 
  6. “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13) illustrated to Israel and us the necessity of the death and shedding of the blood of a substitute, the Paschal lamb, for their Passover deliverance, and by way of extension, our deliverance through the death of Christ the Lamb of God, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). 
  7. All the great scenes of Scripture find some kind of connection to the Blood of Christ. It is just that we have so trivialized their significance in the repeated telling of the Scriptural narrative that its familiarity has bred a kind of contempt, which the adversary exploits for the purpose of robbing God’s people of their zeal for Christ and the truth. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14). “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them” (1John 4:5). “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (5:19). 

Conclusion 

“There Is Power in the Blood” (1899) is a hymn sung for over 100 years from camp meetings to Nashville. Since we live in Laodicean times, both hot and cold conduct predominate in the Church. We know the language without consistently experiencing the power — “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2Timothy 3:5). 

Sin is the fundamental problem of the universe, and the Blood of Jesus is the only cure. 

Angels fell from heaven without redemption. Man transgressed, and animal sacrifices were required and given to cover sin and avert God’s wrath; however, not until the Blood of the Messiah was shed could sin be cleansed, erased, or annihilated. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:7). 

Father, we die for lack of appreciation of the efficacy of the Blood of Jesus. Revive us. Awaken us. Open our eyes and teach us that we have possessed the cure all along. Cause Your Spirit to illuminate our understanding. Take away from us the seeking of any and every thing as the cure for what ails us, other than the Blood of Jesus. Build Your Kingdom. Rapture Your Church. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your Name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

NOTE: I introduced thoughts on the Blood of Jesus in my previous blog entry, Most Valuable Resource.

Most Valuable Resource

Ken1 Comment

Jesus is, of course, the center of the universe in God’s Kingdom, and the most valuable resource of Jesus is His Blood, “for the life of every living thing is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11 NET). The Blood of Jesus is not a lucky charm or religious mantra, but it represents the life, power, and vitality of God, “and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses [Greek, katharizō, purges, purifies] us from all sin” (1John 1:7 NKJV). Such annihilation of sin by Christ’s sacrifice is, by faith, the elimination of anything opposed to Almighty God, and is better than all of man’s best sacrifices, even back to the beginning. “To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Not enough good can be said about the power and efficacy of the Blood of Jesus cleansing sin, overcoming temptation, and defeating the devil. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He [Jesus] might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). This is victory. 

Christianity, far from being a bloody religion, is based upon the divine understanding, “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). This expresses a legal sense of pardoning, where Divine Rule requires a covenant faithfulness, that no one is above the law, especially the King, and clemency to lawbreakers must not destroy the foundation for the law. For this reason, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:10). Without sin, there would have been no need for sacrifice, much less the ultimate sacrifice of the suffering, pain, and death of Christ, our Perfect Substitute.

The Blood of Jesus Christ changes from the required vocabulary of creeds and becomes the prayerful argument of the Redeemed in the Courts of Heaven to overturn the enemies’ complaints against us, especially sanctioned by our ancestors from the third and fourth generations before us. “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:5-6). Notice, spiritual cursing may be found in a physical depravity of inherited DNA weaknesses, diseases, and shortened lifespans; as well as, a material poverty of income, education, wealth, social and political circumstances. Curses have limits, while blessings do not. 

The Courts of Heaven are not overturned by the New Covenant, as can be seen by the active operation of the Adversary in the NT. “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down” (Revelation 12:10). 

We must prayerfully come before the Courts of Heaven and use Christ’s death and the Blood of Jesus as our strongest argument for the “Judge of All the Earth” (Genesis 18:25) to grant our petition concerning all things pertaining to “life and godliness” (2Peter 1:3 KJV) for ourselves and the Body of Christ. We must not attempt any kind of Plea Bargain with the Devil, who is the “accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10) to gain anything. His case against us is annulled by the Blood of Jesus. “In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV). Understanding the vastness of the ability of the Blood of Jesus to make us clean, empowers us to succeed against the devil’s continual prosecution (persecution) of us in the Courts of Heaven. “6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:6, 9). 

Comprehending we have forgiveness, because He “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5), we are “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). No verdict can be rendered against us in the Courts of Heaven. The Ancient of Days will not hold against us the guilt of our sins because He chooses to remember them no more against us. “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12). 

We do not see this Unseen Realm of the Courts of Heaven, but the Scriptures assure us they are there. “1 God stands in the congregation [literally, divine council, ESV] of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6 I said, You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations” (Psalm 82:1-8 NKJV). 

It is difficult to comprehend how an Unseen Adversary can delay and prevent victory, but Daniel attests to the delay. “12 Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12-13). God sovereignly controls the timing of our interaction with the Courts of Heaven. 

The delay in the Courts of Heaven can be broken with understanding guiding our praying. “So He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). In this instance, the disciple’s incapacity to cast out a demon and heal was not so much a Procedural Error of not having fasted and prayed, but a Preparation Error of not comprehending what they were doing and not having the Court of Heaven heart preparedness to accomplish the task. “17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. 18 And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20). 

Father, You have warned us, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). Help us to trust not in simply the incantation of the phrase, “The Blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19; 1Peter 1:2; 1John 1:7), but grant us an understanding heart to grasp the power and majesty of Your Victory over the wicked one and the power of the enemy. Help us to trust not in the device of catch phrases concerning our time in the Unseen Realm before the Courts of Heaven, but grant us the victory of “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5) that You might be praised before the enemy. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your sin destroying, all powerful name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

Blessing of Abraham

Ken

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 NKJV). 

If blessings are expressions of God promoting our happiness and welfare, why hasn’t God already blessed the whole world from the beginning? 

He has. 

“He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). 

Would you rather believe nothing Big Banged into something, evolved into you, and now you have all that you have?  

Why would He give such a magnificent promise to Abraham about blessing and cursing? 

Because Abraham believed God.  

Same as you and I must do. 

You knew Abraham begat Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, and the humanity of Jesus? 

This is how all the families of the earth would be blessed. 

Here is the good part, by faith, you and I are the children of Abraham. Yes, there still is a prime place for Israel in the current fulfillment of Bible Prophecy; but, in the meantime, we do inherit claim to the blessing and curse of Abraham. 

“6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:6-7 KJV). 

Just a moment. The blessing and curse of Abraham? 

If blessings promote someone’s welfare and happiness, then curses take away from one’s welfare and happiness. 

If you are not being blessed, then you are being cursed. That is thoughtful and logical. 

God said He would “bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you” (Genesis 12:3 NKJV). 

You can reasonably understand spiritual salvation would be part of that blessing, but does it extend to the physical or non-spiritual realm? 

Yes. 

After Abraham passed his test about his willingness to sacrifice Isaac and have him resurrected from the dead, the LORD repeated His promise to Abraham. 

“Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:17-18). 

Nearly immediately, all of Abraham’s near relatives began to have children. 

“Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah” (Genesis 22:20-24). 

Yes, physical blessings were included in God’s promise to Abraham. 

What about the curse or curses of Abraham? 

Since Abraham died not too long after, we must wait for a considerable time later, when the sons of Abraham were coming out of bondage to Pharaoh in Egypt. 

The story of Balaam illustrates the curse of Abraham. 

Israel was on its way to Canaan and had moved in upon King Balak’s territory of Moab (Numbers 22-24). They were only passing through, but Balak saw them as a threat. He asked Balaam to put a curse upon Israel. Balaam was a prophet knowledgeable of the God of Israel but willing to be hired by Balak. 

“Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:5-6). 

This is the Balaam, whose donkey saved Balaam’s life by refusing to move, only to be beaten. “Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28). Balaam arrives for Balak and determines he cannot curse Israel. He announces to Balak a truth about cursing Israel, which is true about us, as well. “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” (23:8). 

Jehovah would not allow any enemy to succeed in cursing Israel, when He had not cursed them. This is not only true, because Balaam said so, but it is true because Jehovah promised Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). 

What happened to Balaam? After failing to give King Balak an acceptable cursing of Israel three times, Balaam was sent home. However, Balaam figured out how to be paid by Balak to bring a curse upon Israel. He encouraged the Moabite women to seduce Israel with prostitutes and idolatry, so God Himself would bring a curse upon Israel. “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD” (Numbers 31:16). 

The LORD rewarded Balaam for his exceeding treachery against Israel and Himself. “The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them” (Joshua 13:22). Verily, Balaam received his reward, but not what he thought. “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled” (Isaiah 5:14-15 KJV). 

Is it necessary to remind the LORD to judge the wicked? 

Apparently so. 

“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2Chronicles 20:12 NKJV). 

God takes especial delight, when His people look for Him to act. We have not been commissioned to exact God’s vengeance. “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). 

Sometimes, judgment alone will satisfy the LORD. When we are battling for the LORD, it may not always be possible for the LORD to exercise mercy, since mercy is entirely God’s decision; otherwise, all would automatically be saved. “O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). 

We supplicate for God to show mercy, but God cannot always wisely prevent sin. “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes” (Matthew 18:7). 

God sovereignly curses whom He wills to curse and blesses whom He sovereignly wills to bless. 

“13 As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will? 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this? 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:13-23). 

Yes, we can pray blessing and cursing based upon the promise of the LORD to Abraham. 

LORD, bless those who have been a blessing to us. 

LORD, will Thou not judge them, when they come against us to destroy us and we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee. 

Father, we pray that Your Church would apprehend understanding of Your Word that we may call down blessings from Your Word. May we never exercise the meaningless authority of our name to accomplish Your work. May You alone receive the credit for blessing and cursing. May we be as Your prophets of old calling down fire to consume the sacrifice upon the altar. Restore to us the certainty that the one we bless, will be blessed. And, if we must ever ask You to judge them, they will be judged. LORD, accomplish all Your will in the earth. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your all powerful name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

Love of the Truth

Ken

The clarion call of the Christian is we love the Truth. The difference between a scientific principle, a mathematical fact, or an accurate record of a historical event being true and the Truth, is only the Truth can save us. History is full of discouraged baseball players, scientists, mathematicians, and historians who pursued the World Series, science, mathematics, or history, without changing society for the better. Why? Only the love of the Truth can save us. Too long have we allowed ourselves to be satisfied with substitutes for the Truth to satisfy us in our quest to navigate life, build families, pursue employment, advance our education, seek our leisure, establish a framework of government, balance our footprint on the earth, police our streets, defend our nation, pursue the boundaries of scientific understanding, right the inequities of society, all this and more. 

Every Christian will rightly agree the Truth is none other than Jesus Christ. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NKJV). The only reason the Truth can save anyone is because Jesus is the Truth. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). We love the truth because Jesus is the Truth, and we love Jesus. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1John 4:19). 

Why such significance to loving the Truth? “10 And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned [Greek, krino, judged, damned] who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thessalonians 2:10-12). Paul describes the circumstances of those who are left behind at the Rapture. 

Does this mean those left behind at the Rapture are forever condemned to Hell, if they were stubbornly resisting the Truth, when the Harpazō (Rapture) took place? If that were so, we should back away from evangelism to give people a chance for their repentance after the Rapture. Not hardly!

Let’s evaluate the Scripture. 

The Greek word krino in 2Thessalonians 2:12 can be correctly translated as “condemned” (2:12 NKJV), “judged” (2:12 NASB), or “damned” (2:12 KJV). Because we commonly think of damned as an eternal condition, e.g., Eternal Damnation, it gives us cause for interpreting 2Thessalonians 2:12 with this viewpoint; but, Scripture does not demand such a dire interpretation. 

How is this so? 

Possibly the most popular verse in the New Testament is John 3:16? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). Two verses later, Jesus said, “He who believes in Him is not condemned [Greek, krino, damned]; but he who does not believe is condemned [Greek, krino, damned] already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18 NKJV). 

How can anyone ever be saved, if they are damned? Evidently, you are condemned or damned, while you are not believing, but you are not condemned or not damned, while you are believing. If this were not so, then there is no Good News in the Gospel. And, we are Eternally Damned forever. 

But, there is still something profoundly different about the rejection of the Truth (2Thessalonians 2:12), or loving not the Truth (2:10) at the moment of the Rapture. Just as the coldest temperature is normally recorded immediately before the rising of the sun in the morning, the coldest reception to the Truth will come directly before the Rapture. 

Paul uses the words “strong delusion” (2:11). “Strong [Greek, energeia, superhuman power]” (2:11) refers to the supernaturalness of energy displayed by God in sending the “delusion [Greek, plano, deceit, delusion, error]” (2:11). This combination of words means it is not just any delusion, but the delusion made possible in the one time of human existence, when the Spirit indwelt humans are universally and instantaneously removed from the earth, taking away all restraint to the working of the wicked one. A floodgate of wickedness will be opened. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He [the Holy Spirit] is taken out of the way” (2Thessalonians 2:7 NKJV). 

Paul also uses the Greek word dunamis or “power” (2Thessalonians 2:9), when referring to the supernatural power being exercised by Satan at the time of the Rapture. By the way, this dunamis is also the supernatural power (but even greater) manifested by God in our salvation — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power [Greek, dunamis, supernatural power] of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). 

We need to pay careful attention to the use of the word “power” in NT Scripture. This is much like the symbols around electrical currents announcing “Danger Electrical Shock Hazard.” Just as we may hear stories of some electricians touching hot electrical wires without damage, others may become profoundly dead. Pay attention, when Scripture uses the word “power.” 

How often have we experienced a sense of powerlessness in our day-to-day lives, much less in our spiritual life? We need to reconnect to the truth of the Scriptures regarding supernatural or superhuman power. We need God’s supernatural power flowing through us by our love of the Truth. We need to adjust our expectation of God performing the Truth of His Word by demonstrating His power according to our love of Him, who is the Truth. 

In this instance, we prefer not to be insulated from God’s power: 

(1) By the resistance of sin in our lives, i.e., “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). 

(2) By the predominance of supernatural opposition, i.e., “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could we not cast it out? So He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28-29). 

His power is a superhuman, transforming, subduing power. 

“Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working [Greek, energeia, superhuman power] by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:21). 

His power is a superhuman, death overcoming, resurrection power. 

“Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working [Greek, energeia, superhuman power] of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). 

Love of the Truth 

We need to stay alert to the enemy’s significant supernatural power by maintaining our love of Jesus, who is the Truth. That will not only overcome the wicked one, but will draw us closer to Jesus. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). Prophecy is not intended to frighten us, but to appropriately warn us of what to expect from the enemy. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power [Greek, dunamis, supernatural power of God or Satan], signs, and lying wonders” (2Thessalonians 2:9). 

We are not attempting to promote the Apostasy in order to see the return of the Lord. That will take care of itself. We are to go about our normal lives, but with the expectation of the imminent return of the Lord — by Rapture, if we are still here, or by Resurrection, if we have already gone Home to the Lord (1Thessalonians 4:16-17). 

You will note the Truth to be loved is things will overall, progressively get worse and worse, not better and better. That is not pessimism but prophecy. “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2Timothy 3:13). 

All of the defining epochs of humanity’s existence have ended in man’s failure. 

(1) Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden because of not trusting our Creator, but setting into motion the Messiah, who will be the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).

(2) The world was destroyed with a worldwide flood because of our wickedness, but punctuated by rainbows, reminding us of God’s faithfulness (Genesis 9:13). 

(3) The world was divided into different languages and disbursed to overspread the world at the Tower of Babel because we defied the Living God, but the Almighty set apart faithful Abraham, who would be the spiritual father of Israel (Genesis 11). 

(4) The nation of Israel, who gave us the Scriptures (Romans 3:2), saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD because they rejected the Messiah, but God has given Himself the Church, a called out assembly, to evangelize the world with the aid of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). 

(5) The Church has wrestled with periods of hot for the Lord and cold indifference to the Truth to the point of a lukewarmness that sickens the Lord, where the Lord is outside the Church, knocking on the door seeking entrance (Revelation 3:20). 

UPDATE: Since I posted this blog entry, “Love of the Truth,” I have modified my thoughts about the overall progress of the Church in a world of “evil men and impostors [who] will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2Timothy 3:13). I still believe overall, humanity and the world is getting worse and worse. I still believe the Church is characteristically lukewarm – “you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot” (Revelation 3:20) – BUT I believe the Church will open the door to Christ knocking. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). The Church answering the knocking at the door is the Rapture. Proof of that is found nearly immediately after in the text, where only the Church can answer the door, and it is “a door standing open” (4:1). Also, the Trumpet Voice commands, “Come up here” (4:1), which is the Rapture. “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after these things” (Revelation 4:1). All of this demonstrates the Church’s Laodicean lukewarmness will end on a note of hot and not cold. This will be the fulfillment of Christ’s words to Peter, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Hallelujah!

Is this all part of the prophetic plan? 

Yes, because we are constantly being reminded of the truth of why we were created to glorify Him (Revelation 4:11) by our constant abiding with Him (22:3). 

Summary

Why do we love the truth of prophecy? 

The true purpose of prophecy is to bear testimony to the Person and Work of Jesus. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).

Father, cause us to love the Truth of Your Word, as we are strangely attracted to it because of Jesus. Magnify Yourself by the fulfillment of Your Word, promises, and prophecies. May Your Kingdom come and will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen and amen.

No Darkness In God

Ken

Through the Apostle John, God has given His children a decisive reply to anyone who says not everything is as simple as black and white, good and evil, light and darkness. 

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5 KJV). 

The world hates the light because it does not comprehend it. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5). 

Does God hold us responsible for what we do not comprehend? Yes. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14). 

Then God discriminates against us arbitrarily? No. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28). 

What did we do to cause God to treat us like that? “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (1:20-21).

Doesn’t that leave the entire world in the desperate situation of sinning rebels against God? Yes, but that is where we have our first Good News from God. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15). 

What does all of this have to do with understanding “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5)? God has given us His Spirit, which gives us understanding that He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Otherwise, we can have no real spiritual understanding. “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1Corinthians 2:10). 

If we contend that we have spiritual understanding without the Spirit of God giving it to us, then we are in opposition to God’s plain statement, “God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit” (2:10). 

We do not know anything, unless God’s Spirit reveals it to us. 

Nothing. 

Anything else is only the pride of our intellect masquerading as our spirituality. 

If We Say 

John continues laying the foundation of this pivotal epistle to his Little Children giving them the certainty “that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1John 5:13), further answering any contradiction of “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1:5). 

First, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1John 1:6 KJV). Claiming to have fellowship with the God, who is light, while walking in darkness, is an absolute lie. Our main concern is not who will discover our secret sins, when no one is looking, but God sees the truth about us the world cannot begin to see. This is more profound than everyone claiming to being a saved sinner as opposed to a lost sinner, which destroys the separation of light from darkness.

John’s response to the childish claim of being in fellowship with God while walking in darkness is simply to return to walking in the light. Repentance grants us application of the blood of Christ, which gives forgiveness and renewed fellowship with God. “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1John 1:7 KJV). 

Second, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1John 1:8 KJV). This is an extension of the previous childish argument of claiming to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness (1:6). This is not calling anyone a liar, who claims they have no sin. If God’s children cannot be without sin, then how could we ever pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12)? And, if this is saying we have a Constitutional Sin Nature by reason of being born physically into this world, then why would God hold that against us? Sin is not a metaphysical condition you were born with, but sin is only a willful act of transgressing God’s law. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1John 3:4). 

John’s response to the deception of having no sin, while walking in darkness, is simply to admit the truth and confess the darkness you have been practicing as sin. His faithfulness and justice allows your repentance to complete cleansing. 1John 1:9 is the Christian’s Bar of Soap. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). Repentance means we never intend to practice that sin again. God’s promises alone preserve us from repeating our sins. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Amen! 

Third, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1John 1:10). John concludes the three part response hindering his Little Children from understanding the remainder of the Epistle of First John. Adamantly maintaining, I have not sinned, is calling God a liar for having identified you as a sinner (walking in darkness), while claiming to have fellowship with God  (1:6). 

John’s response begins the second chapter of this First Epistle of John. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1). Not only can sin be forgiven, but sin can be prevented.  Jesus Christ is our Advocate, Paraklete to keep us from sinning — not just to clean up our mess after we have sinned. He is the One praying for us. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

Triumph of Truth

Ken

Jesus is the truth. 

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6 KJV). 

God’s Word is truth. 

“Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). 

Jesus is the Living Word. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Jesus will return as the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

“11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. 13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).  

Jesus, as the Truth, will triumph.

“10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

Eagerly Waiting for Jesus

Ken

“So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28 NKJV). 

Three Appearances of Christ (Hebrews 9:24-28)

Courtesy of Believers Bible Commentary. 

Verse 26. Christ has appeared. His First Coming. Came to earth to save us from the penalty of sin. Past tense of salvation. “He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). 

Verse 24. Christ now appears. Present ministry to save us from the power of sin. Present tense of salvation. “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). 

Verse 28. Christ will appear. Anticipating the imminent return of our Messiah to save us from the presence of sin. Future tense of salvation. Coincidental with our Rapture. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). 

Our rapture is our Blessed Hope because we will see Jesus. “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

The blessedness of our rapture is we shall see Jesus as He really is. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1John 3:2). 

Since the Cross, the universe has never seen any event of such magnitude as the instantaneous, worldwide catching up or rapture of all those who are eagerly waiting for Him (Hebrews 9:28). 

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazō, raptured, forcefully snatched up] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17).  

We know of nothing that remains for our Lord to accomplish before He raptures His Church home. Hence, our departure is imminent. It is solely the Father’s sovereign timing, which the universe awaits before He raptures His Church. “7 Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. 12 And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 20 He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20). 

Father, truly eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things You have prepared for those who love You (1Corinthians 2:9). Eagerly, we desire to be present with You; but, we pray we will keep our hand to the plow in the meantime laboring for You. Cause us not to give up on raising our families, supporting our brothers and sisters, reaching out to the unredeemed, and maintaining our secular employments. Magnify Yourself through the Rapture of Your Church. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). To You belongs the victory. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Goodness of God

Ken

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7 NKJV). 

Good can be reduced no further than the word God. Good is not God, but God is good. Philosophy, science, and religion can get no closer to the meaning of the word good than the Scriptural observation, “Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8). Messiah Jesus rightly answered the rich young man, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18), admitting His divinity, defending Yahweh, and pursuing the eternal good of the inquirer’s soul. 

The Psalmist reminded us that God’s goodness touches everyone. “The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). The certainty is God’s goodness touches everything.  “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). The question is why humanity insists on rejecting God? What more must God do to demonstrate His goodness? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  

When God’s people think like the world, we do not respond to the essential goodness of God. Everything God has done and is doing, is good; however, only those who love Him, understand it. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It may seem like we are not appreciating God’s goodness in all things, but do we honestly give God thanks for all things? 

Our Christian plan for daily life must incorporate this understanding in all things. Everything works “for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (8:28). The world cannot see this because they do not see God nor understand His conduct in the world. 

Why do bad things happen to good people? 

According to Romans 8:28, everything works for good, but only if you love Him. Consider Christ’s words, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We only lose the joy of our salvation, if we can be persuaded by the Wicked One to look at our circumstances as not working together for our good. Again, if we “love God” (Romans 8:28), then we actively accept the result of God’s Goodness making “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (8:28). 

Have you ever noticed how things worked out better than they should have? 

That’s the goodness of God and not an accident. 

It could be argued, as we approach the end of all things, the wicked one would become more frantic, and increasingly seek opportunities and permission to attack us more to thwart us. Remember how he sought permission to attack Job? But, also remember how our Faithful Creator remembers our frailty. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). 

If God is victorious, then so will we. 

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

God’s goodness was seeking us long before we were seeking Him. 

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). 

Much more is said about God’s goodness than we have ever realized. 

Do we truly appreciate how good God is? 

Father, open my eyes that I may see Your goodness. Cause me to appreciate Your goodness. May You be magnified for Your goodness and Your wonderful works before the children of men. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen. 

Discerning Good From Evil

Ken

“Discretion will preserve you” (Proverbs 2:11 NKJV). 

In the course of human events, no instruction was more pivotal than the Creator’s first conversation with Adam. 

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). 

The Garden of Eden had many trees and fruit, including the Tree of Life as well as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9). Adam and Eve could eat from any tree, but with one restriction, Eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and you will die. 

Our Creator did not immediately warn Adam of calamity from listening to the seduction of fallen angels, or clarify the foundational mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (1:28) with a yet-to-be-created Eve, or expand on the dynamics of subduing and replenishing the earth. Yahweh’s first recorded conversation with Adam was not a welcome aboard speech, but a command, because He knew Adam’s image of God likeness demanded obedience. Only upon repeated obedience could Adam develop the discernment to ensure future obedience. The future of all human obedience hinged upon Adam developing a discretion, which would preserve him and all of humanity. Discretion and discernment are functional equivalents. 

Discernment Comes Through Obedience 

We try to teach our children the difference between good and evil; and, the most direct approach is to give them a distinct choice between what we want them to understand as good, and what we want them to see as evil. Obedience to God’s plain commands are good, and disobedience to God is evil. Training up our children in this fashion develops their ability to discern good and evil. Our Heavenly Father trains our discernment by our choice to repeatedly obey Him. This is the reason mature disciples are characteristically obedient. “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). 

Discernment Is Not an Experiment 

Our ability to discern between good and evil lies with our willingness to obey God’s commands and refusal to disobey Him. We do not develop discernment by first choosing disobedience and then comparing it to obedience, as if experimenting with disobedience can even remotely be better than obedience. We love and trust our Heavenly Father, so we take His Word about the necessity of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even without having to disobey. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). 

Failure to Discern Comes From a Pattern of Repeated Failure to Obey 

The seduction of the young man devoid of understanding illustrates this in Proverbs 7:5-23. 

“5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. 6 For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, 7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, 8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night. 10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. 11 She was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home. 12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner. 13 So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: 14 I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. 16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day. 21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. 22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life” (Proverbs 7:5-23). 

Discernment Coming From Obedience Still Does Not Come Merely on the Force of Human Will 

We can make the obvious mistake of assuming obedience is simply making up our mind to obey God.

First, in this Spiritual Warfare, the Serpent attacked initially the woman before the man, not because of any moral inferiority of women over men, but because God had designed the headship of the family to reside in the husband, as a protector and Eve as the protected. “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). Satan was looking for the least protected point to penetrate. Adam preemptively should have armed Eve against the Serpent, as a shepherd would protect his flock. 

Second, Adam’s reaction to the attack of the Serpent was resigning himself to be punished with Eve by surrendering to the enemy, and eating the forbidden fruit. Instead, he should have immediately taken Yahweh’s side; since Christ informed us the proper way to view our families has always been, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). 

Third, the conversation with the Serpent may have at first appeared innocent enough, since no human had ever before heard the utterance of a lie. In retrospect, the Serpent “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The Serpent had yet to be cursed to go upon its belly (Genesis 3:14); and, the Almighty did not make impossible the interaction with the Fallen Angels of His “Divine Council” (Psalm 82:1 ESV), expecting repeated obedience on Adam’s part to produce the discretion, which would preserve him. It did, in fact, produce discretion; since, we know now “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1Timothy 2:14 NKJV). But most significantly, Adam had not fortified Eve against the devil, so he gave in to his wife, because he loved her (and his own flesh) more than Yahweh. That was the weak point Satan attacked, and why we remember it as Adam’s Fall. 

Fourth, obedience in the Garden was not predicated merely upon human free will by brute force deciding and acting upon the truth; but, obedience had the obvious advantage of interaction with our Loving and Faithful Creator. The writer of our Human Instruction Manual was freely available to explain how to assemble and operate the product. In the prophetic future, it will again be Humanity’s Ultimate End, to have our Creator dwelling among us ensuring our obedience, when we enter the New Heavens and New Earth. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4). Anyone, who has ever had to follow a set of instructions to assemble some purchased product, and has experienced frustration or sorrow, knows in small part the blessedness promised for our future deliverance. 

Fifth, until we arrive at that future condition of New Heavens and New Earth, we have been given the Blessed Indwelling Holy Spirit of the New Covenant to inspire us to obey, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Do not minimize or undervalue God’s Spirit’s inspiration to obey, since the prophets anticipated this aspect of the now-in-effect New Covenant. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Our lack of emphasis upon this only highlights the Church’s past lack of success in the world. 

Why Will the Almighty Succeed With No Further Rebellion in the New Heavens and New Earth? 

First, in order for humanity to learn war no more, a shared history must have made a strong impression on the race. If the result is a non-belligerence among the nations, then it is assuredly the intention of our All Knowing God for every circumstance in the history of humanity to lead to such a result. Even looking forward, all of the horrendous and dumbfounding future judgments of the Book of Revelation will finally become evident in their placement before the final blessedness of the New Heavens and New Earth and Eternity. Both Isaiah and Micah prophesied with certainty of this future condition of humanity. “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). “He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3).  

Second, OT and NT prophetic Scripture assure us rebellion will no longer be found in the heavenlies in God’s presence, not because of the inability of Moral Agents (angelic or human) to rebel, but because our All Knowing God will confirm the Citizens of Heaven with a heavenly peace or unwillingness to war, since He would not allow entrance to Heaven anyone who would ever again rebel. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You” (Psalm 5:4). “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27). 

Third, why all the drama from the creation and fall of angels, humanity’s failure in the Garden, the judgment of the Flood of Noah, the division of the world at the Tower of Babel, the inconsistent history of the Patriarchs, the Rise and Fall of Israel, the Ascendance and Decline of the Church, and the Final Judgment of the World? If God is All Wise, then all these things happen for the good of God and all those who love Him. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Mark it down. This verse of Scripture is hated as a lie by the devil and all those, who reject our Sovereign, Just, Loving, Good, and Faithful Creator. The secularists reject this representation of God as good in all things, because they define good differently from Yahweh, and consequently interpret human history as driven by a different purpose. “So Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). 

How Did Humanity Not Discern the Difference Between Good and Evil? 

Discerning good from evil is straightforward. Obey God and live. Disobey God and die. So, the Adversary must complicate it with a sophisticated argument designed to confuse the truth from the lie. Never before had anyone uttered a lie in front of an innocent human. The Serpent subtly shifted Eve’s attention away from trusting in the plain commands of our Faithful Creator and made it about the unjustness of not receiving all the benefits we desire, so he said. 

“1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:1-6). 

(1) Question: the integrity of God by asking whether God really gave any such command. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). 

(2) Confuse: the issue by insisting God was refusing to let them eat of “every tree of the Garden” (3:1), instead of only the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (2:17). In other words, the Serpent was questioning the goodness and generosity of God by forbidding their scope of access to all the fruit of the Garden. 

(3) Deny: what God said is so, in other words, called God a liar. “Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die” (3:4). 

(4) Lie: as to what would result from the Serpent’s advice, e.g., gaining knowledge of good and evil from the Serpent’s perspective. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (3:5). Taking God’s word on the depths of sin’s depravity is polar opposite of plunging in to find if it is as inviting as the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of material possessions had imagined (1John 2:16). 

In summary, discretion will preserve you because God favors the obedient ones; and, the ability to repeatedly choose the good of obedience and refuse the evil of disobedience, builds the character of one whom God blesses. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). 

Discretion is a virtuous cycle built by repeated obedience, causing repeated obedience. 

Heavenly Father, build for Yourself a discerning people, who know to choose the good and to refuse the evil. Give of Your Spirit to this discerning people that You may magnify Yourself by their obedience. May Your cause be perpetuated in the earth, and may it be so in Heaven as it is in Earth. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen. 

How Do You Achieve Humility?

Ken

Imitate Christ. 

Be like Jesus. 

Do like He did. 

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV). 

No, you and I are certainly not God. Far from it. 

But, an inferiority complex is not humility. 

Humility is humbling yourself for the greater good of God and all existence. 

How could Jesus humble Himself to become a lowly human being unless it was for the greater good of all existence? 

What’s this business of the greater good of all existence? 

Even Jesus as God humbles Himself, or assumes a more lowly position than what He is or deserves, it is to achieve the greatest good for all. 

Humility is an act of the will, since we are to humble ourselves, like Jesus humbling Himself. 

But, Jesus had to do the humbling of Himself, because there is no one greater that could have required Him to do so. 

Since God is greater than all, our submission to God is a humbling of ourselves, which amounts to God humbling us. Think about it. If you don’t see the need of submitting to God in any particular situation, then God is not humbling you. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1Peter 5:6). Submission to God’s humbling of ourselves is when we achieve humility. However, humility is not a destination but a journey. We must always be becoming more like Jesus. 

What’s the difference between humbling and humiliation? Christ humbled himself, but He was not actually humiliated. Whenever we have been caught unawares in the besetting sin of pride, we are humiliated. Pride must be repented of. On the other hand, when God is humbling us, we are actively participating in a difficult, character building time, where we are putting off character traits, which limit our reflection of Christ. It all depends on our heart attitude, whether we are being humbled or humiliated. “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). 

Humiliation is when you are not seeing the need of submitting to God, when things are going so wrong, you can’t explain how that it could be happening. We fail to deliver or strike out trying. When we are humiliated, we can respond in anger or frustration, or we can immediately submit to God’s humbling for our good, and the greater good. Either we accept God’s humiliating of us or descend further in the condition of pride. And, pride is simply thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3).  

How do we achieve humility? 

First, humility is something achievable, or we would not be commanded, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5, 8). 

Second, humility must be becoming more like Jesus, or why would we be called to follow in the steps of Christ? “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21). 

Third, if pride is not the opposite of humility, then why would Scripture inform us, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)? 

Fourth, humility must not be simply ridding ourselves of the pride within us, or Jesus could not humble Himself, since He did not possess the sin of pride. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). 

Fifth, humility must be primarily submitting to God, as well as surrendering to the needs of one another equal to our own needs. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

Sixth, humility must be pursued by God’s Spirit revealing (Philippians 3:15) to us continually all the things, which must be  changed, set aside, adjusted — for this is growth (2Peter 4:18), and not repentance (sackcloth, Jonah 3:8)  — or else we will be humiliated in a condition of pride (Pilate, John 18), requiring our repentance. God positively humbling us may simply be putting us in the difficult circumstance of having to point out to others their sin. “Lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced” (2Corinthians 12:21).

Seventh, humility must be a perfection in keeping with Christ’s command, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), or why would Paul in the same passage as maintaining his lack of reaching a final destination of perfection — “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12) — maintain he was already perfect in his journey of humility? “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Philippians 3:15 KJV).

May God bless Himself with a people, who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen.